Traditionally, blood sugar regulators such as insulin and synthetic hypoglycemic agents have been widely used for treating diabetes. Diabetes is a disease which accompanies various complications which are hardly prevented from developing by a mere control of the blood sugar, and a new therapeutic agent for the complications of diabetes has been demanded. Accumulation of and increase in sorbitol and galactitol in tissues which are caused by chronic hyperglycemia have recently been drawing attention as the mechanism of the onset of the complications of diabetes.
Some literatures suggest that a compound having an inhibitory action on the activity of aldose reductase, which is an enzyme capable of converting aldose such as glucose or galactose into sorbitol or galactitol, is useful for the treatment of the complications of diabetes, such as faulty union of corneal injury, cataract, retinopathy, nephropathy and neurosis [see J. H. Kinoshita et al. Biochem. Biophys. Acta, 158, 472 (1968), Richard Poulson et al, Biochem. Pharmacol., 32, 1495 (1983) and D. Dvornik et al, Science, 182, 1145 (1973)].
Based on the foregoing, the study is directed to the prevention and treatment of the complications of diabetes by the inhibition of aldose reductase activity to ultimately inhibit accumulation of polyols such as sorbitol and galactitol.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 40478/1982 and 107970/1988 describe that various compounds synthesized for this end have aldose reductase inhibitory action. Yet, the development of a therapeutic agent for the complications of diabetes, which has a still more excellent aldose reductase inhibitory action, is desired.